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Brandon Jacobs ran for only 67 yards against the Patriots in the regular season, but that may change Sunday.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Thunder and lightning.

That's a phrase the New York Giants coined when they had Ron Dayne and Tiki Barber in the backfield in the early years of this decade. It never quite lived up to the promise.

Barber was the lightning but Dayne, the Heisman Trophy flop now with Houston, never really delivered the thunder.

These days the Giants feel they have another version of thunder and lightning. And this one has helped them advance to the Super Bowl against the undefeated New England Patriots on Sunday at University of Phoenix Stadium.

Brandon Jacobs, a third-year running back from Southern Illinois, and Ahmad Bradshaw, a rookie out of Marshall, could be the keys for the Giants to have any hope.

If they can run effectively, allowing the Giants to maintain possession for long periods, Tom Brady and his roadrunner offense won't be on the field.

And that can only mean good things for New York, which lost to the Patriots 38-35 on Dec. 29, but has reeled off three road victories in the playoffs to advance to the Super Bowl.

"If we don't play better than we did in that game, then we'll lose because they're a better football team than they were in December," said Patriots outside linebacker Mike Vrabel. "They've gotten better each week. They've won games on the road. They've gotten better."

Jacobs, who gained 1,009 yards in the regular season despite missing five games with injuries, is the thunder, a load to tackle at 6-foot-4, 264 pounds. He relishes running over backs, but as New England lineman Richard Seymour said, "he will bounce it outside if no one's on the edge."

Bradshaw, who had only 23 carries in the regular season but has 39 for 163 yards in the playoffs, is the lightning. He has the capability of changing the momentum of a game every time he touches the ball.

"It's a 1-2 pop," said Patriots linebacker Junior Seau. "They can give us a lot of headaches. Hopefully we'll maintain gap contain and stop them."

Seymour calls it a physical style of running.

"They have a lot of different blocking schemes," he said. "They do a lot of double-teamming and try to move guys out of the way."

The Patriots did a decent job in the regular-season game, holding the Giants to 79 rushing yards, 67 by Jacobs. But Bradshaw didn't play because of a calf injury.

The Giants feel he can provide the missing element this time.

"He is a difference maker," said Coach Tom Coughlin. "He's a guy, along with Jacobs, that gives us a great combination. They are so different.

"But Ahmad has proven that he can break tackles against bigger people, he's shown he's capable of making the long run like he did against Buffalo (an 88-yard touchdown), he catches the ball out of the backfield, and like I said before, a lot of times it takes more than one to get him down."

Bradshaw rushed for 63 yards and scored a touchdown in the NFC championship victory at Green Bay. Jacobs likes the thought of having Bradshaw for the rematch with the Patriots.

"He makes a big difference," said Jacobs.

"(The Patriots) have a lot of big guys there (on defense). He can bring quickness, can dance around, can make people miss, which I can't do. He has that opportunity to make people miss."

The Patriots certainly have noticed.

"It's a challenge," said defensive coordinator Dean Pees. "Part of the reason the passing game is so good is because they have a great running game. Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs are playing really well. They are two different styles of runners. It may be the same play but it may not look like the same play.

"One can really bounce it out and get around the corner or really cut it back.

"Jacobs is a little bit more of a downhill runner who will run through you and run through tackles."

It's important, said Patriots inside linebacker Tedy...